Oliver Queen was pulled into a tornado of hatred and chaos at the hands of Slade Wilson. Not long after the man ended his game with Felicity did he make good on his threats, sending Oliver’s world into one bitter tragedy after the next.

Each time, Slade outsmarted them. Each time Slade was two steps ahead, and Oliver barely had time to breathe.

First, he failed to prevent Slade taking Roy, using his blood and other stolen contraptions to spread the Mirakuru drug into any thug he could persuade and break from prison.

Next, Slade had killed his mother, in front of him and Thea, and not before revealing secrets and pasts that would drive him and his sister apart.

After all his failures, Oliver didn’t know if he could win. Not against Slade’s army, not with Sara still gone and Roy unstable. The only hope he had was the cure, and with Felicity’s contacts at Star Labs, maybe they had a chance.

Maybe it was their only chance.

Slade’s terror was so fierce and swift that Oliver didn’t get a chance to even think. He only had bodies piling up at his feet with Slade laughing in his mind at the failure that he was.

He couldn’t even speak to Felicity. She tried to comfort him, but every time he looked into her face he felt like breaking down, giving up, and even grabbing her and Digg and running away. Making sure they were safe; making sure she was safe.

He couldn’t talk to her about how he was feeling. He didn’t even know himself. All he felt was despair and humiliation. He felt hopeless, and he could see Felicity wanted desperately to bring him hope, just as she always had.

And the worst of it, Slade had trashed their comfortable lair under Verdant. He watched Felicity’s face fall as she took in the damage of all her computer systems, and he watched as she lifted her chin, pulled out her tablet, and looked to him for the next step.

Oliver didn’t know what that next step was. They waited for the cure, but they could only wait for so long as Slade unleashed his super soldiers all over Starling City.

When the cure came, Slade’s goons had taken it, and by some strange luck, they had gotten it back from Sebastian Blood. With the cure in hand, they quickly helped Roy, and devised a plan to take down Slade once and for all. Even better, Sara had returned, and she brought Nyssa and the League of Assassins with her.

Oliver could see that Sara and Nyssa had reunited, and even though they concentrated on the battle at hand, he could tell the two woman were close and had fallen in love with each other again.

With his team, the League, and a cured Roy, Oliver felt like he could stand some chance. It was the cure that would bring him such hope.

---

“I can do it,” Felicity said as they were hiding out in the tower where Sara used to stay. “I can get close to him. I can give him the cure.”

“No, no, it’s much too dangerous,” Oliver said immediately. He felt Felicity’s hand on his arm. She stared into his eyes and pleaded.

“That’s why I have to do it,” she said. “He’s already taken Laurel to draw you out."

“He knows that she’s not who I … he knows it won’t work with her,” Oliver admitted, and Felicity fell silent. “He knows that you and I… he’s already tricked us once, proving that he really wants you. Felicity he wants to hurt you and make me pay. I can’t do it. I can’t lose you.”

“Oliver, we can talk about this later,” Felicity said. The world was literally burning around them, and Oliver wanted to tell her how he felt. He had to. If she didn’t make it; if he didn’t make it…He didn’t know if he was ready. He felt things was all too fast, that he’d needed more time. He’d always admired Felicity. He admitted to feeling deep friendship with her in such short time, and he never wanted to lose her from his sight, his team, and within his inner circle.

He just wanted her. All to himself, and the idea that Slade had tasted her still made his nerves burn raw. Looking into her eyes, he saw tears already forming, but she set her jaw and forced determination.

“I’m not good at this,” Oliver said.

“Then do something you’re good at,” she said, and she cupped her hands around his face. “Be a hero.”

“How do we even trick him? He’s after you, Felicity, and he knows I wouldn’t be stupid enough to let you out of my sight.”

“You have to act like you’re taking some huge precautions of trying to get me out of town on a train. Have one of the League members escort me. He can leave once he thinks I’m safe.”

Oliver furrowed his brow. “But you won’t really be leaving town.”

“I’ve done a lot of digging on Slade since he revealed who he was to me, and I also found out that with Barbara he has been able to tap into any security footage anywhere. He’ll see me, and he’ll take me.”

“He’ll kill you,” Oliver said in a dangerous tone.

“No, I don’t think so, and we have to take that chance,” Felicity said, and he could see that she was shaking. “He’ll want to do in front of you, like he did with your mom. It has to be a grand spectacle with him. Why go to all this trouble just to kill me when you’re not around? But when he does, you have to play with his head long enough so I can find the right moment…”

“I understand,” Oliver said. “You don’t have to do this, Felicity. We can find another way.”

“No,” she said sternly. “We have to do this. We are Team Arrow, remember?”

Oliver pursed his lips, which turned into a quick smile before his expression darkened. “Yes.”

---

Defeating Slade felt like a blur. Felicity’s plan had worked, and though Oliver had been scared to possibly lose her, he couldn’t be prouder of her bravery.

Slade was cured and Oliver was able to fight him like any other normal man. Sara, the League and Roy were able to disperse the cure to the other soldiers, taking everyone down quickly and safely. Soon, remnants of the Mirakuru drug were gone, and Slade was handed over to Amanda Waller, who thanks to Diggle and Lyla, needed some convincing not to level Starling City with a drone fighter as a last resort.

Most of the city was in shambles, picking up pieces and treating the wounded. Isabel was dead thanks to Nyssa, but Oliver’s company was still lost to him. Felicity was already working on ways to bring it back.

“Where are you going to stay?” Felicity asked, meaning that his house was gone too. Oliver was pretty much homeless. They were walking back from leaving Slade on the island in his new prison. Diggle walked ahead toward the helicopter, leaving them to talk about the many things between them that had been put on hold. Oliver stopped, turning to face Felicity on the beach as they soaked in the warm sun.

“I thought about staying with Diggle, but then I didn’t realize I was going to be the fourth wheel with his kid on the way,” Oliver admitted. “It’ll probably be some hotel. I have some bonds I can cash for extra money. I’m hoping to use them to get my company back though and rebuild my name.”

“Don’t worry about the funds thing,” Felicity said with a sly grin, and he tilted his head, looking at her curiously. “Ah, all that money just sitting in Isobel’s bank after she’s dead. It’s not like she’s going to use it.”

“Huh, cyber theft. That’s a surprise. I should be proud,” he said, unable to resist the grin forming on his lips.

“You should. You would be broke without me. You might have to get a job,” she said. “Scary stuff; scarier than Slade.”

He chuckled lightly, and then his face turned soft. “Felicity. I think...we need to still talk…”

“Talk about Slade?” She visibly shuddered. “I’d rather not relive that, thanks.”

“No, about what Slade proved from us. He manipulated you and drove you away. He used you, all to prove to me…”

“That I’m the one you love most?” she blurted, and then she winced. “Eek, I said that out loud. I even finished that sentence and it sounded totally like something out of a terribly rom-com…”

“Felicity, he was not wrong,” Oliver said simply, and she met his gaze, stunned at his revelation.Oliver sighed.

“Let’s take it slow,” he said. “There’s...there’s a lot to rebuild.”

“I… I agree. Sure,” she said, nodding her head. “I don’t know what to say anyway.”

“That’s a first,” Oliver teased, and she saw him come close to her. Felicity could hear the cool waves of the ocean beside him, and she wondered if it was just the warmth from the sun beating on her face. She closed her eyes and almost moaned as Oliver reached up and traced finger down her jaw before stopping at her chin. “I’m a mess, Felicity, and you’re too good. You’re remarkable and I… I didn’t think I could have that.”

“You can’t just think you can have or not have me...It just is, Oliver. I’m here,” Felicity said. “God, with all that stupid stuff with Slade, it should have never happened. I shouldn’t have let myself get fooled by him, but I was hurt…” She licked her lips and tilted her head into Oliver’s palm against her cheek. She met his eyes, staring. “I’m sorry.”

She felt him move, pulling her close, inhaling a breath before he dipped down and took her lips into his. The blood in her cheeks ran hot, and as she tasted him for the first time, she felt all her dreams and all her fantasies snap like a rubber band into obscurity, replaced by the warm surging exploration of his tongue. She delighted in the feeling of his rough stubble against her lips, and the burgeoning urgency of his need so near to her. Placing a hand on his chest, she leaned closer, fitting herself deeper within his kiss. His sweet lips played with hers, surging with hunger and then settling into a satiated relief.

He pulled his lips away, only to rest his forehead against hers. She curved into him, feeling his arm rest on the small of her back as he pulled her into a tender embrace.

“Felicity,” he whispered, and the air from his lips blew against her hair. She shivered, even in the warm island sun.

“Let’s go home,” Felicity said, and she looked up into Oliver’s eyes and she saw a sense of renewal there, a desire for rebirth. He nodded.

“And you’re not staying at a hotel,” Felicity said, and Oliver rested his arm over her shoulder as they continued to walk and meet up with Digg at the helicopter. He turned to her and raised an eyebrow.